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WATCH: Coronavirus Takes Another Maine Life, As The Number Of Cases Continues To Rise

Nick Woodward
/
Maine Public

Updated April 10, 2020 at 4:49 p.m. ET.

Maine Center for Disease Control Director Dr. Nirav Shah announced Friday afternoon that a woman in her 80s from Sagadahoc County has died from COVID-19, bringing the total in the state to 17.

Shah says 57 people are now hospitalized with the illness.

"There are currently 20 individuals in the state of Maine with COVID-19 in intensive care units. There are also 37 additional individuals with COVID-19 who are also hospitalized, but not in intensive care."

The director says there are 22 confirmed cases of the disease at the Tall Pines retirement and healthcare community in Waldo County. He was asked if the facility had been following testing protocols that say workers and residents should be tested if they're showing symptoms of COVID-19.

"What we understand is that the facility has been complying with all of CDCs recommendations," he says.

Shah says containing the outbreak at Tall Pines is a top priority and that the CDC will be delivering additional personal protective equipment for staff there.

He also says his agency has received a donation of five rapid test kits from Martin's Point Healthcare that will help the agency increase its covid-19 testing capacity.

"We will be able to work with health care providers to double the capacity of rapid point-of-care tests that we have and return results to physicians who can then immediately provide for safe isolation for people who may be experiencing homelessness," Shah says.

Earlier this week, Shah revealed that the federal government reduced Maine's allotment of the rapid tests, deliveringjust a fractionof what it initially promised. He says the donation will yield five additional kits for a total of 120 tests and match the reduced shipment from the feds. He also says Martin's Point received about 1,000 of the test , but had not asked for them.